Hoverboards have taken the world by storm, and it’s not hard to see why. These futuristic machines offer a unique and exciting way to get around, and they’re a lot of fun to ride. However, if you’ve never ridden a hoverboard, it can be a bit intimidating. With the right technique and some practice, though, anyone can learn how to ride a hoverboard like a pro.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from getting started to mastering advanced maneuvers. We’ll also share some tips and tricks to help you stay safe and get the most out of your hoverboard experience. So whether you’re a first-time rider or an experienced pro looking to take your skills to the next level.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Getting started with riding a hoverboard requires an understanding of the hoverboard itself. In this section, we will cover the key aspects of understanding your hoverboard, including its components, charging, and testing.
1. Understanding Your Hoverboard
Before riding your hoverboard, it’s important to understand its basic structure and how it works. Hoverboards consist of two wheels connected by a board the rider stands on. They are powered by rechargeable batteries that drive electric motors to propel the wheels.
2. Hoverboard Components
To fully understand your hoverboard, it’s important to know its key components. These include the wheels, motors, gyroscope, battery, and control board. Each component plays an important role in the operation of the hoverboard.
3. Charging Your Hoverboard
Properly charging your hoverboard is essential for safe and reliable operation. Most hoverboards come with a charging cable that plugs into a standard electrical outlet. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for charging your hoverboard and avoid overcharging.
4. Testing Your Hoverboard
Before taking your hoverboard out for a ride, it’s important to perform a few quick tests to ensure it’s in good working order. Check the wheel bearings, make sure the wheels spin freely, and check the board’s stability. This will help ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable ride.
Before riding a hoverboard, it’s important to perform a pre-ride checklist to ensure that you’re prepared for a safe and enjoyable ride. This section will cover the key aspects of a pre-ride checklist, including safety gear, environment considerations, and personal health considerations.
Pre-Ride Checklist
1. Safety Gear
Wearing the proper safety gear is essential for protecting yourself while riding a hoverboard. This includes a helmet, elbow and knee pads, and wrist guards. Proper safety gear can prevent serious injuries in case of falls or accidents.
2. Environment Considerations
When riding a hoverboard, it’s important to consider the environment you’ll be riding in. Avoid riding in busy areas, on crowded sidewalks, or on uneven or dangerous terrain. Make sure to choose a flat and stable surface for riding and be aware of any potential obstacles.
3. Personal Health Considerations
Riding a hoverboard requires good physical health and balance. If you have any medical conditions or physical limitations that could affect your ability to ride safely, it’s important to consult a doctor before riding. Additionally, stay hydrated and take breaks as needed to avoid fatigue.
Basic Riding Techniques
Mastering basic riding techniques is key to becoming a proficient hoverboard rider. In this section, we’ll cover the fundamental skills you need to know, including foot placement, starting and stopping, turning techniques, and balancing techniques.
1. Foot Placement
The way you position your feet on the hoverboard is crucial for maintaining balance and control. Keep your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, with your weight evenly distributed over both feet. Avoid leaning too far forward or backward, as this can throw off your balance.
2. Starting and Stopping
Starting and stopping your hoverboard requires careful control and balance. Step onto the hoverboard one foot at a time, keeping your weight centered over the board. To stop, shift your weight back slightly and slow down gradually. Avoid sudden stops or jerky movements.
3. Turning Techniques
Turning on a hoverboard requires a combination of leaning and shifting your weight. To turn left, shift your weight to your left foot and lean in that direction. To turn right, do the opposite. It’s important to keep your upper body relaxed and allow your hips to guide the movement.
4. Balancing Techniques
Maintaining balance on a hoverboard requires constant adjustments and subtle movements. To maintain your balance, keep your core engaged and your gaze fixed on a point in the distance. Practice shifting your weight forward and backward, and side to side, to get a feel for the hoverboard’s movement.
Advanced Riding Techniques
Once you’ve mastered the basic riding techniques, it’s time to take your hoverboard skills to the next level. In this section, we’ll cover advanced riding techniques, including riding uphill and downhill, riding over obstacles, riding in a crowded area, and riding on different surfaces.
1. Riding Uphill and Downhill
Riding on an incline requires a different approach than riding on flat ground. When riding uphill, lean forward slightly and keep your weight centered over the board to maintain momentum. When riding downhill, lean back slightly and use your feet to control your speed.
2. Riding over Obstacles
Riding over obstacles requires good balance and coordination. Approach the obstacle at a moderate speed, and use your knees and ankles to absorb the impact. Keep your gaze fixed on the path ahead, and use your upper body to maintain balance.
3. Riding in a Crowded Area
Riding in a crowded area requires heightened awareness and caution. Always yield to pedestrians and other riders, and avoid sudden movements or quick turns. Stay in control at all times, and be prepared to slow down or stop as needed.
4. Riding on Different Surfaces
Different surfaces can affect the handling and stability of your hoverboard. Smooth, flat surfaces are the easiest to ride on, while rough or uneven surfaces can be more challenging. Practice riding on different surfaces to improve your skills and confidence.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overconfidence: Don’t assume you can ride a hoverboard perfectly right away. Take your time and practice in a safe and controlled environment.
- Not Following Safety Precautions: Always wear appropriate safety gear and follow local laws and regulations governing hoverboard use.
- Ignoring Battery Life: Keep an eye on your hoverboard’s battery life and charge it regularly to avoid running out of power mid-ride.
- Improper Foot Placement: Ensure your feet are positioned correctly on the hoverboard to maintain balance and control.
Troubleshooting
- Hoverboard Won’t Turn On: Check the battery and charger, and ensure the hoverboard is properly connected.
- Hoverboard is Unresponsive: Check the sensor pads and ensure they are clean and functioning properly.
- Hoverboard Vibrates or Shakes: Check the tire pressure and ensure the hoverboard is on a level surface.
- Hoverboard is Beeping: Check the manual or manufacturer’s website to decipher the beep code, which may indicate an issue with the battery or other components.
Maintenance
- Cleaning Your Hoverboard: Wipe down the hoverboard regularly with a damp cloth to remove dirt and debris.
- Inspecting Your Hoverboard: Check the tires, sensors, and other components regularly for signs of wear or damage.
- Replacing Hoverboard Parts: Replace worn or damaged parts to ensure safe and proper operation.
- Storing Your Hoverboard: Store your hoverboard in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
How to Ride a Hoverboard Step By Step?
How to ride a hoverboard like a pro? So let’s begin without delay!
1. Before You Get on Your Hoverboard
Safety
You don’t want to injure yourself and land in a hospital trying to ride your hoverboard. So safety is a must, and you should consider wearing safety gear before you step on your board. Make sure you have the following:
- Helmet
- Knee pads
- Elbow pads
- Wrist guards
- Tailbone pads
Preparing yourself is necessary for riding your scooter. Hoverboards can travel 8 to 10 miles per hour, so even though it’s not that fast, you can still fall and injure yourself.
Read the Manual
Some brands provide instruction manuals with their hoverboards. Please don’t step on your board before you have read it! You will know the specifications and special precautions that apply to your board.
2. Prepare Your Hoverboard
Buy the One that Fits Your Needs
Note that the headlights on your hoverboard may not totally illuminate your surroundings, so watch out for that raccoon who could run in from the side. You would want to buy one that has excellent lights.
The outer shell may be durable, but the inner side can easily get scratched. And we all know how ugly scratches look and how they mar our otherwise fair ride.
If you don’t have a manual, don’t worry- we will cover everything! You can read our best hoverboard reviews to help you choose the one that fits your needs.
Charge Your Board
The first thing to ensure is that your hoverboard is fully charged. If not, then plug it into the charger and charge it fully. You don’t want the batteries to die while taking your first crucial steps!
You have to be careful when charging the battery. You can only leave the battery plugged in for a few hours. Otherwise, it may damage the battery permanently. That could lead to a permanent issue with the battery, which won’t hold the charge properly.
Switch on Your Hoverboard
Switch on your hoverboard before you do anything by pressing the power button. Most of the time, the power button is located on the rear of the board or the central bottom flap.
Don’t attempt to ride on your board with the power switched off, as you will fall almost instantly. Hoverboards are meant to maintain balance only when they are switched on.
Some hoverboards also provide a learning mode. So if it’s applicable, turn the learning mode on.
Find a Suitable Place
You will want to ride on a plane surface where you can travel in a straight line before learning your turns. It also helps to have support nearby to save yourself from falling while getting up on the board.
Place the board near a wall or pillar, and you are good to go!
3. Getting on the hoverboard
Place your first foot (preferably the dominant one) on the hoverboard and use the other foot to keep the scooter in a level and upright riding stance. Try to place your foot closer to the wheels, far from the center of the board.
When you have balanced yourself, take your other foot off the ground and put it on the hoverboard. Adopt the same manner as your first foot and place it far from the center, nearer to the wheels.
A wide stance will help you bend your knees and balance the board. Some boards also have a flashing LED that tells you when it’s okay to put your second foot. So look out for such signals if your board is equipped with one.
Most hoverboards are engineered to balance you electronically once you step on. Still, you might be wobbly trying to find your center of gravity. Take the help of the wall or pillar until you learn to balance yourself.
Tip: Getting on your hoverboard is similar to climbing upstairs. Don’t overthink too much- place your feet climb on! If you want to learn to ride a hoverboard, you must put your mind and soul into it. It’s similar to learning anything new, so concentrate and focus your mind.
Which Way Should You Get Up?
There’s no front or rear in self-balancing scooters. You can get up either way though some people prefer to ride with the light side forward to see in the dark. Others keep the lights at the back to use them as traffic alerts.
4. Moving Forward and Backward
Once you have mastered standing on the board, you can move forward or backward.
The logic here is simple- you lean forward to go ahead and do the opposite to slow down and go backward. In other words, the hoverboard will move the way you shift your body weight.
So, if you want to move forward, adopt a forward motion to go ahead. You can bend your knees to control the motion effectively but don’t overdo it! If you put too much pressure or lean, you can lose your balance and fall.
Tip: There is a bit of a learning curve for controlling the speed and braking. Begin with slight shifts in weight so you can learn to go ahead slowly and gradually. Leaning increases your speed, but adopt caution to slow down in time instead of hitting an obstacle and flying off!
5. Learning to Turn
If you are a beginner, you should practice riding straight and get used to the feeling. After you can move forward and backward without any problem, it’s time to turn left or right!
Turning on your hoverboard follows the same principles as moving ahead or backward. Each paddle of your hoverboard is independent of the other one so that you can shift pressure on each side.
If you want to turn right, push your left toe forward; if you turn left, move your right toe forward. In other words, you need to shift your body weight opposite the direction you want to turn.
You can also lean your body in the appropriate direction to propel your board in that direction and make a nice and clean turn. Also, while you push one toe forward to turn, ensure that the other foot is stable and in a horizontal position not to lose your balance.
Tip: Adopt slow and gentle movement in the beginning when you are learning to turn. Otherwise, you can spin off and hit the ground!
6. Stepping Off the Hoverboard
Getting off the hoverboard will require practice before you can do it confidently. Like getting on the board, you must take one step at a time.
The trick is to get off the board backward instead of forwards. If you are getting off from the front, your foot can put pressure on and shoot the hoverboard ahead!
The same is less likely to happen when you step back from your board. Also, don’t make the mistake of jumping off the board- step down usually.
Keep Practicing
Getting on and off your hoverboard can take a long time, so you should keep practicing. Once you have mastered the art, your confidence will increase along with your balance.
The same also applies to the whole of the self-balancing scooter learning experience. You can read manuals and watch countless videos, but unless you adopt perseverance, you won’t succeed!
So take each step at a time and practice as much as possible before hitting the streets! Learning to Ride Your Hoverboard like a Pro.
7. Riding your Board Backwards
It’s not that hard to ride your board backward after you get the hang of it. Just shift your body weight backward by leaning back, and the board will reverse.
8. How to Spin on Your Scooter
You must have seen people spinning on their hoverboards and want to do the same to show your friends. Once you have some experience in riding and turning, you can try to learn the art of spinning!
To spin, you need to put pressure on the toes and heels of the feet opposite each other. You must put pressure on the right ankle and left toe to spin right.
On the other hand, put pressure on your left ankle and right toe to make a left spin.
Tip: Like the other steps, start with gentle pressure and up the difficulty meter.
9. Riding Your Hoverboard on Slopes
Most hoverboards can ride 15 to 20 degrees inclines, while others can handle higher terrains. You should be cautious and take it slow when you encounter slopes for the first time.
Once you have handled a few slopes, it will be easy, and you will not lose your balance.
Tips for Learning to Ride Hoverboards
Mind the Terrain
You will want to practice on a plane or concrete surface when you are in the learning phase. Try to avoid bumps or potholes which can make you fall.
After gaining some riding experience, you can try offroading or tackling hilly terrains, bumps, and curbs. Keep the condition of the road you are riding in your mind and adjust your riding style accordingly.
Keep Eyes Forward
This is true for all vehicles- you must keep your eyes forward and on the road. Please don’t get distracted, as you might hit an obstacle or lousy patch of the road when you take your eyes off it!
Keep a Tab on Your Speed
The faster you move, the more careful you should be. Hoverboards don’t generally go over 10 miles per hour, but that can also turn serious if you have a collision or fall.
Some boards make a beeping sound when you reach top speeds, and you should consider slowing down. Also, bend your knees to get more control over your riding stance.
Stay Safe at Night
Some hoverboards come with LED lights which help cars and other motorists see you. Wear bright clothes or reflective jackets to increase visibility if you don’t have lights.
You can also stick a few reflective stickers on your hoverboard, so other vehicles can see you.
Don’t Treat Your Hoverboard as a Skateboard
The two things are not the same! So don’t try the stunts and tricks you do on your skateboard on your hoverboard. You will only increase your chances of getting injured!
Necessary safety precautions for hoverboard
1. Wear Appropriate Safety Gear: Wearing the right safety gear when using a hoverboard is essential for keeping safe. Appropriate gear includes a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and other protective gear.
2. Check the Hoverboard: Before using a hoverboard, check to ensure it is in good working condition. Inspect the wheels and battery connections for any signs of damage or wear.
3. Be Aware of Your Surroundings: Hoverboards can move quickly, so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings. Keep an eye out for pedestrians, pets, and other potential hazards.
4. Never Ride Alone: Never ride a hoverboard alone. It is best to ride with someone experienced in using a hoverboard.
5. Stay Away From Water: Hoverboards and water do not mix. Never ride a hoverboard near water or in wet conditions, as it can cause a short circuit and electric shock.
6. Never Exceed the Weight Limit: Most hoverboards are designed to handle a certain weight limit. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the maximum weight limit and never exceed it.
7. Pay Attention to Speed: Hoverboards can move quickly, so it’s important to pay attention to your speed. Going too fast can lead to an accident, so it’s best to take it slow and steady.
8. Practice Before Going Out: Before using a hoverboard in public, it is best to practice using it in a safe area, such as a park or backyard. This will help you become familiar with the controls and how to maneuver them properly.
Conclusion
To summarize, riding a hoverboard requires patience, practice, and safety precautions. With proper technique, awareness, and maintenance, you can become a skilled and confident hoverboard rider.
FAQs
1. Is it easy to ride a hoverboard?
Riding a hoverboard requires practice and coordination, but most people can learn to ride one with some patience and determination.
2. How fast can a hoverboard go?
The speed of a hoverboard varies depending on the model, but most hoverboards have a top speed of around 10-12 mph.
3. What safety precautions should I take while riding a hoverboard?
Always wear appropriate safety gear, follow local laws and regulations, and be aware of your surroundings.
4. Can hoverboards be used in wet conditions?
No, hoverboards should not be used in wet conditions, as moisture can damage the components and pose a safety hazard.
5. How long does a hoverboard battery last?
The battery life of a hoverboard varies depending on the model and usage, but most hoverboards can travel 8-12 miles on a single charge.
I love hoverboard. It’s my wish to ride it, after reading your post, i am excited to try hoverboard by following your tips. Hopefully i will become expert in it very soon.